Taking a shower is a pretty straightforward endeavor. You turn on the water, step inside, wash your hair, wash the rest of yourself, turn off the water and step back out. Easy, right? But what if you could enhance your showering experience?
With a few simple tricks, you can make your shower cleaner, more relaxing, somewhat environmentally friendly and all around better. Most of these hacks require little to no money and will take only a few minutes to accomplish.
Curtain or tension rod organization If you don't have any type of shelving in your shower, you probably have to keep all of your hair products, body wash and shaving cream on the shower floor, shoved in the corner. This is not only inconvenient but can also cause the bottles to gather mold. Use a tension rod to act as storage. Alternatively, you can try adding small clips to the rings on an interior shower curtain rod. You can use them to hold shower products out of the way but in an easy-to-reach position.
Daily cleaner Cleaning the shower is probably part of your normal cleaning routine and you don't really think about it too much. But cleaning the shower is significantly easier if you do a little daily upkeep. Mix 24 ounces of water, 1/2 cup of peroxide, 1/2 cup of alcohol, 2 tsp liquid dish soap and 2 tsp vinegar together in a spray bottle. Spray this combination on the walls and floor of your shower after every use to keep it from getting gross between cleanings.
Clean shower head The best part of showering is all of that water cascading over your head and washing away the dirt and grime from the day. But it's hard to do that if your shower head is also dirty and grimy. The easiest way to clean your shower head is to fill a bag with vinegar and put it around your shower head. Use thick elastic hair ties to hold the bag in place and leave it overnight. If you don't want to deal with the smell of vinegar, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil in the bag.
Rust preventionIf you keep an aluminum can of shaving cream in your shower, then you've probably noticed a ring of rust left behind when you pick up the can. To prevent this, paint the bottom of the can with clear nail polish. Make sure you don't set the can back down until it's completely dry.
Watch moviesIt's such a pain when you're in the middle of binge-watching your favorite TV show and remember that you need to shower before you can leave the house again. Instead of pausing the show, put your phone in a clear plastic bag, seal it as tightly as possible, and use binder clips to hold the bag in place. You can continue to watch the show or movie while showering without worrying about your phone getting wet.
Waterproof speakersMaybe movies aren't your thing and you prefer to spend shower time rehearsing for your very own solo concert. If that's the case, you'll definitely want to invest in waterproof speakers. With these, you'll be able to jam out to your favorite tunes without worrying about electrocuting yourself.
EucalyptusAlthough some people use bath bombs to relax in the tub, there's a shower-friendly version of this that's completely natural. Take some fresh sprigs of eucalyptus and hang them from the showerhead. The steam from the shower will enhance the minty scent of the eucalyptus and create a relaxing atmosphere in the shower.
Vapor rub shower cubes (h/t The Homespun Hydrangea)If you don't like the idea of hanging a plant in your shower, try this slightly more time-intensive solution. You can mix Vapor Rub, corn starch and water into a paste, pack the paste into an ice cube tray and freeze it for about 20 minutes. Any time you're having sinus or allergy issues, place a cube near the drain in your shower and let the steam and the scent go to work.
Hair trapsIf certain members of your household tend to resemble the Wolfman and shed like a cat, then you likely spend a lot of time digging hair out of your shower drain. Instead of constantly clogging the drain, buy disposable hair traps. You can stick one over the drain, catch any stray hairs, peel it up when you're done and throw it away.
Moss shower mats (h/t eHow)Shower mats provide both cushion and grip for you as you step out of the shower, but the one you have probably isn't environmentally friendly. With a few foam mats and a bunch of moss plugs, you can create your own moss shower mat. It uses the excess water from the shower to help the moss grow, so you can reap the benefits without putting in much work.
